Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Week Two: Ask Your NASCAR TV Questions And Get An Answer

Since we were being flooded with many good quality NASCAR TV questions, it only made sense to create a post each week. This gives us all a central place to stop-by and put together a good question and answer session.

Ask The Daly Planet your question about any aspect of the NASCAR TV coverage, past or present. If we do not know the answer, we will go and get if for you. Lots of "TV types" who prefer to remain un-named pitched-in last week to get answers to your questions, and we certainly did appreciate their help.

To ask your question, simply click on the COMMENTS button below, and then follow the easy instructions. There is nothing to join, and we do not require that you leave your email address. Please read the rules for posting located on the right-hand side of the main page.

We will keep this page active through Thursday late night for the West Coasters, and do it again next week.

To avoid duplicate questions, if you are new to The Daly Planet, please take a minute and read last week's Q and A session by using this link. Thanks again for taking the time to stop-by and ask the NASCAR TV question that has been on your mind for so long.

this Eric character is a perfect example of the disney kool-aid drinking. (google kool aid + cult)

Disney thinks it can hypnotize or brain wash people. Hell they are Disney and own ESPN so why do they have to put on a post race show.

Remember a couple of years ago when NBC cut away from Charlotte fall race cause of SNL? They got heck for thagt but ESPN gets a free pass on this one.

Didn't Fox have the Nextel Post Race report or something like that. Wouldn't the title sponsor be a bit offended with not having any interviews on the network that carried the race.

Ironic that the ONLY place to get driver interviews was on SPEED Victory Lane Show.

So the answer is sorry Erik - ESPN does a crappy job at covering NASCAR and I don't watch IRL so I don't care if there is a post race show or not. There has been a post race show since 2001 when Fox/TNT took over coverage from who? Think about that one Erik - Oh Yeah - Fox took the (mostly) CBS portion and kept it pretty much the same with the same announcers while TNT/NBC took over from ABC/ESPN and did a better job.

Hello, I would like to ask about Dave Burns, the pit reporter. I was very happy that he and Allen Bestwick moved to ESPN from NBC/TNT because they are my favorites from that crew.

What I want to know is why he is not doing any stories on the Countdown show. Like the prepared stories that are taped beforehand? He seems to have a quirky sense of humor and that came out in those stories. Like when he had Carl Edwards teach him how to do a back flip at the gym. Those kinds of stories were really fun and I have missed them this season.

I just read the Q&A from Oct 2. The poster sonicAD found the TV listings showing the NASCAR championship banquet is on ESPN2 on tape delay beginning at midnight December 1.

The question: Isn't that a step down for NASCAR considering the banquet has in recent years been broadcast on TNT in the regular evening hours (8 or 9 p.m., with a tape delay of 30 minutes or 1 hour, I believe)? It seems like it's a step down.

Bruton Smith was on Tony Stewart's radio show last night talking about how the banquet needs to be in Las Vegas instead of NYC (in an arena with fans attending, which is a horrible idea because some of them will inevitably boo the champion). But the banquet must not be that big of a deal to NASCAR if it's going to be on TV at midnight. How can they agree to this?

Anon 10:31AM - The TV contract is very specific, and always has been once NASCAR finally clustered the TV rights under their own banner. That division of NASCAR is called NASCAR Digtal Entertainment.

The over-run of events and the channel designation of an over-run or a rainout is not really a contract issue. NASCAR wants their Chase races on broadcast networks, but Mondays is really not an option for them and its clear cable is OK from the past several years.

The ESPN/ABC contract hasn't been bungled, its just new for the fans. NASCAR got a lot of what it wanted when there was no other player. NBC went back to football with Fox, and CBS was not interested. If they wanted network TV and some other extras like a daily show and international distribution, the ESPN gang was really the only option in town.

Anon 11:02 AM - Dave has been doing reporting on the show, but features are not something that ESPN has integrated into the show too much this season.

You may remember Dave from his old TNN days based in Charlotte. He was on the old ASA telecasts, and worked in the pits for ESPN2's old Craftsman Truck coverage. Dave is from Kalamazoo, MI and is a grad of Taylor University in Business.

Anon 11:52AM - The Cup banquet has been a TV nightmare for NASCAR for sometime now. It changed from a "boys night out" with the women in fancy clothes to a high-profile live TV event that cost the world.

Several TV companies and networks have tried a variety of approaches to make it more TV friendly, but it just drags-on forever. The popular opinion is that it will move to Las Vegas and change into more of a multi-media style party with TV, radio, and internet elements. This year's tape delay at midnight is rock bottom for this event.

Am I correct that the in-car and infield video/audio feeds are sent by RF from their source to a helicopter hovering high above the track and then back down to the truck?

The main question I have, why is that necessary at a track the size of Martinsville?

And the remote cameras all seem to have a small generator stationed nearby. Are those back-up or primary power for those cameras (which would seem to be rather unstable with the way generator power can fluctuate and reek havoc on electronics) or are they there for other reasons?

Any chance of ESPN or Speed having something like DirecTV's HotPass? I live in an area where it's not possible to get DirecTV. I'd love to get HotPass if it or something like it was available on cable.

You are correct. The RF frequency signals travel straight up to a hovering helicopter and then down to the masthead of the Broadcast Sports Technologies production truck.

These camera feeds are then split to the various TV networks and online services looking for those images and the natural sound (natsound) from the cars.

The reason this system works is because at every track, big or small, the one way to eliminate any obstacle or electronic interference is to go...straight up. The only problem is bad weather and low ceilings for the helicopter.

I think the box you saw was the servo-head of the camera, the actual working electronic guts of it. There is no generator power associated with the unmanned remote cams. Sometimes, the working electronics are stationed right near the cam usually under a tarp or some type of cover so they can be accessed easily if things go bad. Good question.

Vince, the former SPEED exec Chris Long is the Hot Pass guy, and DirecTV is loving every minute of it. They want to drive consumers to get and sign-up for DirectTV with this service, and do not want to share it. It is all theirs, and they are making hay while the sunshines.

Where does Speed get its footage from the race when Fox isn't broadcasting? Do they get it from ESPN or directly from NASCAR Images? NASCAR Victory Lane had the same awful camera angles of Jeff Gordon's winning pass that was shown live in the race. But Inside Nextel Cup had much better footage, showing the complete pass without cutting away from it in the middle. Obviously they had a whole day to cull the footage, but do they get it from NASCAR directly?

There are a couple of questions there. At the track, SPEED uses what is available to them from the race feed. There is no ESPN issue.

SPEED has an agreement with NASCAR Images that covers the use of NASCAR footage.

While Victory Lane came from the track right after the race, Inside NEXTEL Cup originates in Charlotte and the editors have lots of time to get things perfect.

Most footage use is based on time and length. TV stations can only use golf, football, and NASCAR footage shortly after the event (24 hrs) for free to show the highlights. Then, footage outside the "news window" is brokered by PGA Tour Productions or NASCAR Images on a case-by-case basis.

SPEED's agreement with NASCAR Images has been in place for a while, and SPEED is an official NASCAR TV partner because of the Craftsman Truck Series.

I copied this from the "Erik" post but it pertains to last weeks race coverage and the way ESPN/ABC handle the post race:

Then, they bypassed any post-race interviews except the winner and signed-off the air. After they left, none of the ESPN Networks or programs including ESPN News or SportsCenter followed-up on the race.

When they were interviewing Jeff Gordon in Victory Lane, after he had thanked some of his sponsers he paused for a moment, as if someone was telling him to stop talking, then he said "I can go on if you want," and they stopped t he interview.

John, is it possible to find out if ABC/ESPN uses the same number of cameras at a track as Fox did? It just seems that so many incidents are missed by the cameras on ABC, including wrecks and important lead changes. Or is this just a matter of the guys in the production truck either not knowing what's important or ignoring things for whatever reason?

One of the big gripes I have had for the seven years of the new TV package is the muzzling of the race sponsor's name during the telecasts. What is the money amount that a sponsor needs to pay to get full love (like Bank Of America will get on Sat.), and if they don't/can't pay, is TV required to say the race name once per hour to avoid a Cracker Barrel-type suit?

Mr. Daly:In your column "In Progress at Talladega" last weekend, "Erik" added the following entry at 7:29 pm:"Im sure if NASCAR had better TV ratings, local affiliates would have no problems for the race broadcast to go beyond its scheduled window, and ABC wouldn't mind their Sunday night lineup, which can exceed 19 million viewers. However NASCAR just isn't a big enough draw as it pales in comparison. Local affiliates can make more money with their regular programming."I had belived, perhaps mistakenly, that NASCAR had the second-highest ratings in sports programming. I spoke with an executive of our ABC affiliate on Monday and he said their switchboard "lit up" at the sudden end of coverage and the calls were not happy calls. My question: is "Erik" correct in his observation and could you address the network/affiliate issue with ABC vis-a-vis other broadcast networks, especially where auto racing is concerned as opposed to stick & ball broadcasts?Thanks.Tom in Dayton, OH.

Anon 4:40PM - Anyone can talk about NASCAR, the issue is the footage and the rights to use it. A network like SPEED would simply negotiate a new show in the same way they would with any program that involved footage use. I have nothing to update on this topic, and hope to get some news trickling in soon about the 2008 SPEED plans.

I started this alone at the urging of media friends. It was originally intended to be a "members only" media site, but when I put up my first post, the NASCAR fans flooded me. Its never been the same since. We average over hundreds of thousands of users per month, and I now use the help of a crew to deal with the spelling, fact checking, and NASCAR TV scheduling issues.

I have a company working on a new design for a stand-alone website for 2008, and will be breaking news on that shortly. Thanks for asking.

Anon 4:43PM - the top three are moved to the Infield Media Center and are recorded on video at the same time they offer comments and answer questions from the credentialed NASCAR media. This procedure has nothing to do with the time of the race finish. Good question.

bill h - drivers are routinely told how much time they have to talk, even in live situations. They are used to it, and it is a skill new drivers develop quite quickly.

darbar - you are right, its not the same number....it is more! Google around and you can find the ESPN press articles about their increased technical presence.

bowlalpo - the race sponsors make the decision to buy the TV or not. Often, this used to be dependent on if the sponsor was regional or national. Sometimes, they would not buy the national TV but run their commercials on the local stations in the geographic area of the race. You may remember the Food City 500. That is a regional company.

For the big boys, they just decide if they want to buy the TV and then they get the full ride. Thanks.

1) Why did ESPN sign John Kernan (or vice-versa) to do NHRA coverage when he has little experience, to my knowledge, on covering NHRA and even though he still does his NASCAR show on Sirius? Is the NHRA just a stop-gap for John until he can join ESPN's NASCAR coverage?

2) Is there any chance that NASCAR Drivers:360 or any version of it will be coming back on TV or the old episodes released on DVD?

Im sure if NASCAR had better TV ratings, local affiliates would have no problems for the race broadcast to go beyond its scheduled window, and ABC wouldn't mind their Sunday night lineup, which can exceed 19 million viewers. However NASCAR just isn't a big enough draw as it pales in comparison. Local affiliates can make more money with their regular programming."

...but I can tell you that it demonstrates to me that "Erik" doesn't know what he's talking about.

See, I have worked in local TV, and I can tell you, local affiliates are NEVER happy when ANY network event goes over its alloted time--not the Super Bowl, not the World Series--and pre-empts a local newscast or syndicated show. That means money lost to them, even if seventy million people are watching it, because they don't get to run their own commercial inventory.

Now we know: Erik's making this up as he goes. I'd wager he's a video editor who thinks he's helping his employer's cause by "defending" them.

A couple of random questions for you John. First about ARCA. Back in 2001 and 2002, when the first TV contracts were signed. I remember that during the Fall Talladega Race TNT would also have coverage of the ARCA race from Talladega. Back then, ARCA and CUP were the only series at Talladega for the fall. So TNT would show the race live on Saturday. I remember when SPEED Channel came around, this stopped. Now does SPEED have a contract with ARCA, and DID TNT have a contract with ARCA? Also if SPEED does have a contract with ARCA, why does it not show every event?

The reason I ask is because I used to love when the ARCA Talladega race was shown on cable. Hopefully this is a OK question.

JD, FOX SPORTS used a "skycam" or "cable cam" to get shots of the race from directly over the front stretch. I do not believe ABC/ESPN is using this technology for NASCAR even though I have seen it during their coverage of football. Why is this the case?

Just how much influence do the driver's have with NASCAR? If I remember correctly, when ESPN lost the NASCAR coverage in 2001, it only took one race (the Bud Shootout, I think) for FOX to start showing the sponsor's logo on the hoods of the driver's cars. I believe those particular sponsors had not bought commercial time from FOX, so FOX blurred the hoods. If I remember correctly, Dale Sr. led the charge and within 24 hours this "problem" was fixed.

Fast forward to the current ESPN situation, it appears the drivers are trying to get Brian France's attention - unless you fix this ESPN fiasco, we're going to rim ride all afternoon and then comment that this was a boring race. When was the last time a driver ever called a restrictor plate race boring?

They will compare NASCAR to WWF, they will refuse to be interviewed by ESPN reporters, or will give tongue in cheek answers that those of us with even a little NASCAR knowledge can tell are meant to confuse the reporter (and often they do!).

The driver's must be aware of fans frustration regarding ESPN's coverage and reporting, and therefore I'm confident they have voiced their thoughts to Mr. France.

So, my question: Is part of this fiasco because King Brian is not listening to the drivers and taking these concerns to ESPN, does he not carry enough clout to be heard by ESPN, or is it ESPN's intent to bring this sport to it's knees after the way they were kicked out in 2001?

The NHRA coverage had some holes in it, and Kernan just knows the ESPN system. It is interesting that both Bob Jenkins and Kernan have quietly come back on the ESPN airwaves this year...

I have been hammering NASCAR Images to put out a DVD catalogue or make shows available online to order, but so far there are no plans for this. Eventually, either there will be a NASCAR TV Network or a NASCAR Internet site where videos will be available. ($)

brett - that is a great question. I am a big ARCA fan and was friends with the late Bob Loga, who ran the series for a while. SPEED has just made a big announcement about the entire ARCA series for 2008. You can either go to the ARCA site, SPEEDtv.com, or just google ARCA TV 2008.

Anon 6:18PM - its just a choice of equipment and layout. ESPN likes the big "jibs" that swoop and they also have all kinds of remote cams and gizmos. It is purely choice.

Anon 6:22PM - I think this is a tough one. Drivers have a limited view of the media, and it is mostly sponsor driven. Some of the newly media saavy drivers like Tony and Junior are starting to understand what a problem the TNT and ESPN coverage has been in many ways.

As things grow in TV, they also change. The old days of everybody being chummy and then putting on a show are gone. This is a billion dollar TV contract, and there is direct competition in the TV compound between ESPN/ABC and the DirecTV HotPass folks.

The reason the drivers spoke up ealier is because of the sponsor issue. As you can see from watching INC on SPEED, lots of times drivers don't even watch a replay of the race.

The one thing that is going to make ESPN get up and pay attention is the NASCAR.com threat. You don't need to buy a dish, or order other things like DirecTV. All you need is your computer and you can keep the ESPN/ABC feed muted on your TV. This is the way lots of folks watch the race.

Remember, the biggest threat to cable TV right now is the internet. Remember my story about Rowdy.com and the two guys with the top 100 iTunes podcast?

If ESPN wants Suzy Kolber to be the face of NASCAR on ESPN why doesn't she host anything other than the Cup races (qualifying, practice, or Busch races)?

In a similar instance when Fox first came in they made NASCAR novice Chris Myers the face of NASCAR on Fox and he hosted everything - the Busch races, qualifying sessions, happy hour, and more recently the truck races on Fox.

I think Suzy would gain some credibility with the fans and could actually get to learn about the sport and get to know the people in the garage area if she was around the track all weekend and was able to treat this sport as her number 1 priority.

What insults me is that it just seems like she's a football reporter that just flies in to the track on Sunday morning, talks on the air for a few hours, and then goes to the football game to do her "real job" and doesn't see a race track or talk to anyone in the sport again until the next Sunday.

I know it's not her fault because she's just doing what she's told, but if ESPN's not going to use a "NASCAR person" as their NASCAR host, they should at least pick someone and let them focus primarily on NASCAR, instead of just being at the track 1 day a week in between preparing for Monday Night Football on Saturday and working the game itself on Monday.

Quick comment: Just watched Chasing Glory and liked it very much. Featured racer, Kyle Busch. Sorry I missed the first two episodes. Anyone here know which Chase drivers were featured on the first two?

Why don't networks use the old style ticker anymore? Like the box that showed three drivers at a time in the upper left or right corner. It was simple and easy to read. It seems like all the networks use marquee like bars now, since FOX started it in 2001. Wouldn't simple be better.

- Drivers probably have more influence now than they did under Big Bill & son. Let's not forget how anti-union and in many ways anti-competitive NASCAR is. In the past, drivers could drive as much as they like, but god forbid they drive at a non-NASCAR sanctioned race. On more than one occasion drivers were referred to as monkeys and other derogatory names by the Frances.

What other sport do you know that doesn't have a players union or representation? NASCAR is the ONLY major American sport that does not have such a thing.

brett - TV techniques change all the time, we rarely see older ones come back into play. Its all fancy graphics all the time now days.

Anon 8:24PM - There will absolutely be some changes. Remember the name Dale Jarrett.

Anon 8:40 PM - If I can get myself hooked-up with DirecTV next season, I will certainly add some columns about Hot Pass. This being our first season, I just concentrated on the core programs. My TV friends keep telling me how good they were on Hot Pass so I guess I have to cave.

I will be back on Thurs. to crank this up again...great questions everyone!

Brett said... Why don't networks use the old style ticker anymore? Like the box that showed three drivers at a time in the upper left or right corner. It was simple and easy to read. It seems like all the networks use marquee like bars now, since FOX started it in 2001. Wouldn't simple be better.

October 10, 2007 8:22 PM

I disagree. FOX revolutionized the TV industry with these new graphics. They CONSTANTLY provide a lot of the information I need if I tune in late to a race. I don't want to wait for ESPN to decide when to give me the information I want now.

Question - Why isn't SPEED's Victory Lane program on live or at least semi-live (tape-delayed by just a few minutes) after every race? Is this due to contractual restrictions or is it an economic/logistical decision on the part of SPEED? It sure would be nice if they would come on right away after the race each week, especially with ESPN/ABC dropping the ball so often!

Comment/Suggestion - This may be completely off the wall (and it probably is), but I'm curious if any of the networks have ever considered adding one particular bit of significant info to their on-screen graphics package - a track location indicator. By this, I mean a small indicator that would display "TURN 4", "BACKSTRETCH", "TURN 1", etc. in the corner of the screen as the camera angles change. Is it just me, or would something like this make it easier for the viewers to follow the action as it unfolds? Actually, considering the level of confusion in the booth lately, it might help the announcers too!

While I don’t necessarily want to see even more info cluttering up the screen, I somehow think this would be a useful addition. It might be a bit difficult to implement (since a single camera can cover multiple parts of the track depending on how it’s panned/zoomed), but I’m guessing they could use some sort of technology to make it work. Considering all the tight shots, quick cuts, and odd angles used in today’s broadcasts, I think it would be useful…

"I have been hammering NASCAR Images to put out a DVD catalogue or make shows available online to order, but so far there are no plans for this."

Thanks for asking NASCAR Images about the DVD availability for its shows.

My question is: I've read that ESPN could still produce new episodes of NASCAR Drivers Non-Stop. It's the same show/format as NASCAR Drivers 360 with a title change.(I assume for legal reasons or because they were sold to two different networks, FX and ESPN2).

There were four new episodes with new drivers last year on ESPN2 but, like Chasing Glory, the broadcasts flew under the radar. Can you find out if they - I don't know if it's NASCAR Images or ESPN in charge - have plans to produce new episodes next season?

Hello, Mr. Daly:Just in case you missed my question, posted at 5:26pm(as you were preparing your answers posted at 5:29pm - this might have been like two ships passing in the night) Anyway, a further question: NASCAR NOW on Wednesday had Erik K. interviewing Brad D. During each of these segments, Brad D. had an echo coming from his "studio" and the back drop of the set looked as if it had been run over by a series of golf carts. with smudges and tracks behind Brad! I can't remember seeing as sloppy a set and having an interview with a fellow correspondent conducted with obvious techinal problems continuing into further segments.Coming from "the world leader in sports" why should this be so sloppy, especially when the scene reverted back to Erik in the high-tech set?thanks,Tom in Dayton, OH,

I've noticed some weird things about Brad Daughrety's "studio" as well. Some nights, there's hardly any lighting in there. The poor guy looks like he's standing in the shadows! It wasn't quite so bad tonight, though...

I remember when FOX took over and Myers didn't have much of a clue about NASCAR. Like you said, they threw him in and let him handle much more than just hosting the Nextel Cup race.

I think the biggest difference is that he knew that he didn't know NASCAR, we knew that he didn't know NASCAR, and he knew that we knew that he didn't know NASCAR. Hammond and DW made fun of him for his lack of knowledge, and rather than get mad, he laughed with them. Do you ever hear Jerry, Andy or Rusty teasing each other, or even just relaxing and having fun? Guys, it's not brain surgery - it's 43 cars driving around in circles. Lighten up!

At least ESPN has succeeded in one way - in sucking all of the fun out of a NASCAR broadcast.

ESPNEWS often shows the post-game news conferences of college football coaches on Saturday immediately after the games (probably do this for all stick and ball sports). They should do the same with the top three drivers after each Cup race. They would then be offering counter-programming to SPEED's Victory Lane. Shoot, they could probably do it for every race, even the ones that Fox broadcasts. But that would interfere with their pro football coverage. Maybe SPEED could do it instead, after Wind Tunnel.

ESPN News press conference live coverage must depend on what else is in sports news that day, because they showed quite a bit of Juan Pablo Montoya's s media center appearance after he won earlier this season. I've also seen the press conferences for race winners Kasey Kahne (not this year, obviously) and Jimmie Johnson on that network.

They never show the full conferences, but 10-15 minutes worth, which is pretty nice. The winning crew chief and sometimes the owner is also up there, too. I don't remember them showing the 2nd and 3rd place finishers.

At the start of this season, I was stunned at the arrogance and ignorance of the ESPN management placed in charge of the new NASCAR coverage.

I can’t imagine what logic they think they are using by placing only their long-time ESPN announcers in key positions. I would think that any good management would place the most qualified in those positions.

Bestwick in the background because he is identified with another network? Do they think that a “casual fan” will say, “Oh, there’s Suzy, I like her on football so I will stay tuned and watch the race.”? Do they think that a “casual fan” will say “Oh, there’s Bestwick, I’m not going to say tuned because he was on NBC.”?

Anon 11:43PM - There is no "hard time" for a race to be over. The only way to make sure that Victory Lane airs is to schedule it a bit later than the suggested end of the race, and then deal with the circumstances. Several times, things have been done on the fly and SPEED deserves credit for rolling with the punches on this innovative program concept.

Anon 12:53AM - We will find out shortly about the next season. NASCAR Images is struggling to deal with SPEED and ESPN and find a high-profile timeslot. We all miss those good Monday night shows that SPEED used to have. Maybe ESPN will make a move to migrate some NASCAR programming over to ESPN Classic, which is essentially an un-used network of repeats.

robyn - the closest right now is the online video at NASCAR.com One of the biggest discussions since Talladega when ABC left is how fans can see the "aftermath" of the event and get the good comments from those involved in the event. Believe it or not, before ESPN had NASCAR, ESPN News used to televise the post-race Media Center interviews live...how weird is that?

lisa hogan - just like any big business, there are many factors in place when it comes to being a public spokesman for the company. ESPN wants to "brand" their NASCAR coverage with its own people.

This philosophy has been in place at ESPN for several years now, with very little success. The coverage of NFL football on Monday Night Football has been panned by the critics for the announcers.

The network is trying to extend the "brands" and the people associated with them into the field, and it is not going well.

I think they will re-think this over the off-season and come back with a re-vamped daily show and Busch crew. As I am sure you know, there are company politics in every business.

bobb from Long Island - this year's qualifying has been "time shifted" several times by both ESPN and SPEED. The idea is to show all the cars make their runs, and that slowly delays the TV show until sometimes the show ends thirty minutes later than the session in real life.

Sometimes, if qualifying is started earlier than the network ON time they time shift it back and delay it so it starts at the scheduled time. Qualifying for the Cup Series this season has been hit or miss, fun or boring, and interesting or mind alteringly boring.